supports



248*163m1 an D.B.SHANDr AIMING REST.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1919. 1,324,934. Patented Dec. 16,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

3 248. SUPPORrg D. B. SHAND.

AIMlNG REST.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-2|. m9.

' FIGS Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

lu/eld'al".

1701f Ska/2d DAVID BRETT SHAND, OF DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND.

AIMING-REST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16,1915).

Application filed February 21, 1918. Serial No. 278,433.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID BRETT SHAnD, a subject of King George V of Great Br tain, residing at 40 Dowling street, Dunedin, New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aiming-Rests, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to appliances used in musketry instruction.

The object of the invention is to provlde a small, compact and light aiming rest for rifles, provision being made for theclamping of the rifle in the rest and locking the rifle, so that a musketry instructor maytake the place of the recruit and check the sighting of the rifle, which remains held exactly in the same position as it was left by the recruit.

A feature of the invention is also the handiness with which the parts may be disassembled and packed together by its own parts for ready transport.

In the drawings accompanying this speciiicationz- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention assembled and ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my invention disassembled and packed ready for transport.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of my invention.

Fig. 4.- is a view illustrating my invention in use, the rifle being clamped therein.

In my invention there is what may be termed a clamp member 1 made of malleable cast iron or any suitable metal, so formed as to hold and retain without damage the rifle placed therein. This is effected by the provision, on one side of a flat base 2, of upwardly projecting lugs 3, shaped to agree with the curvature of the wood around the rifle barrel. Arising from the base 2 of the clamp, and on the opposite side to the pro jecting lugs 3 and integral with the clamp member 1 is an upwardly projecting arm 4: having therein a hole screwed to receive a clamping screw 5 which projects inward.

toward the upwardly projecting lugs 3. The clamping screw 5 is made to turn easily in the hole screwed in the arm a and has through its head a pin 6 or other suitable lever arrangement for-turning it.

A suitable guard 7 is provided, which in use is placed between the point of the screw and the wood work around the rifle barrel; the whole being so disposed and placed that when a rifle is laid on the base 2 of the clamp member 1, it may be retained there in position by the clamping screw 5 pressing it firmly against the upright lug members 3, the sheet metal guard preventing the end of the screw damaging the wood as before mentioned. The guard piece 7 is fastened to the clamp member 1 by a length of light chain 8 so that it will not be lost.

Projecting downward from the clamp member 1 is a short stem 9 carrying a round metal ball 10. The stem and ball may be integral with the clamp member 1, or made separately and fastened thereto by the stem 9 being passed up through a hole drilled in the base 2 of the clamp member 1, and the end of the stem 9 then riveted over. This construction is shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The upper ends of th tripod legs 11 are disposed around the ball member. The said legs are made preferably of metal bars having flat sides facing inward toward the ball member 10, each having near its upper extremity a hole 12 drilled through the flat of the bar from which the legs ar made, the hole 12 being of such a size and countersunk on the side nearest the ball member 10 in a manner to provide a rolling socket for the ball member 10 when the legs 11 are in position around the ball member. The said legs are retained in position around the ball member by a clamping collar member 13 made preferably in two half circles, from both ends of which lugs 14: project radially outward, each half being jointed to the other 'by means of a screw 15 through one adjacent pair of lugs, and a tightening screw 16 passing through the other adjacent pair of lugs, the tightening of the clamping collar member 13 around the legs 11 of the tripod being effected by tightening up the tightening screw 16. A distance piece 17 is placed between the legs 11 of the tripod and below the clamping collar member 13, so that when the said clamping collar member 13 is tightened upon the outside of the legs 11, the distance piece 17 will act as a fulcrum and the leg tops of the tripod will be drawn tightly onto the ball member 10 attached to the underside of the clamp member 1. The before mentioned distance piece 17 is a flat circular disk made of malleable cast iron or any suitable metal, and has on its edge three equidistant radially projecting pins 18. These pins 18 are suited to fit into holes 18 in the center of the flat of the bar of the leg members 11, each being the same distance from the center of the hole 19. engaging with the ball member 10. The distance piece 17 is attached to any one of the leg members of the tripod by a short length of light chain 19, so that it may not be lost or displaced. Immediately below the distance piece 17 the legs 11 are displaced outward so as to present the well known tripod appearance and cfiect, the length of the legs below the bend 20 determines the height of the rifle rest above the ground; the ends of the legs may be pointed so as to insure the legs firmly engaging with the ground or floor.

It will be observed that the arrangement of parts are so designed that when taken apart for transport purposes, they fit to gether very compactly, and are secured by the clamp members, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In use, the rest is placed on the ground or on a bench in front of the recruit, who places his rifle in the clamping member 1, the magazine immediately behind the clamping member; the guard 7 is then placed between the wood work of the barrel and the end of the clamping screw 5, which is then tightened up until the clamping member 1 and the rifle are firmly secured one to the other.

II p to this period, in operation the clamping collar is loosely surrounding the upper ends of the legs of the tripod so that the ball member is free to roll in its socket; the clamping collar, however, may be adjusted to a permanent tension so that the ritle may be held in the position adjusted by the instructor to allow the recruit to examine the instructors aim without any interference with the tripod.

The recruit takes aim, sighting on a mark, when the instructor or another member of the squad may check the aim and point out any faults. The tripod may be put to numerous other uses, such as aim at ground, vision training, indication and recognition of targets, fire orders and so forth. The recruit can now leave his rifle trained to the mark while the instructor takes his place behind the rifle; who, on looking along the sights can check the accuracy of the recruits aim. Any canting of the rifle is at once apparent. In this manner alone can the recruit be trained to aim accurately.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. An aiming rest, comprising a clamp member for holding a rifle, having on one side of its base an upwardly projecting lug, and an opposing lug on the other side of the base also projecting upward and carrying a clamping screw, said screw projecting toward the first mentioned upwardly projecting lug, a chain attached guard piece to cover the point of the said clamping screw, 21 ball member projecting from the said base piece of the clamp member, said ball member being supported in bearings at the. upper end of leg members which form a tripod, a chain attached distance piece having on its edge equi-distant radially projecting pins, said pins being adapted to fit into holes bored to suit in the said leg members, a clamp collar member adapted to surround the leg members, and a clamp screw fitted to the said clamp collar member to clamp the legs to the said distance piece and to the said ball member, all the parts when asselnbled forming an aiming rest and clamp adjustment for use in musketry instruction.

An aiming rest including a plurality of leg members forming a tripod, means for removably securing such legs in tripodliorming relation, a clamp including a rest to support the gun and a movable clamping member to secure the gun on the rest, and a ball secured to and depending from the rest, the upper end of the leg members of the tripod being formed to receive and support the ball to permit universal movement of the clamp.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID BRETT SHAND. lYitnesscs ROBERT WALL,

lonnnr PARK, Jr. 

